Lord, though we change, thou art the same; The same sweet God of love and light: Restore this day, for thy great name, Unto his ancient and miraculous right. 31. GRACE. My stock lies dead, and no increase Doth my dull husbandrie improve: O let thy graces without cease Drop from above! If still the sunne should hide his face, The dew doth ev'ry morning fall; Death is still working like a mole, Sinne is still hammering my heart Drop from above. O come! for thou dost know the way. 32. PRAISE. To write a verse or two is all the praise, Mend my estate in any wayes, Thou shalt have more. I go to Church; help me to wings, and I Man is all weaknesse; there is no such thing His arm is short; yet with a sling A herb destill'd, and drunk, may dwell next doore, To a brave soul: Exalt the poore, O raise me then! poore bees, that work all day, Sting my delay, Who have a work, as well as they, And much, much more. 33. AFFLICTION. KILL me not ev'ry day, Thou Lord of life; since thy one death for me Die over each hour of Methusalem's stay. If all men's tear were let Into one common sewer, sea, and brine; What were they all, compar'd to thine? Wherein if they were set, They would discolour thy most bloudy sweat. Thou art my grief alone, Thou, Lord, conceal it not: and as thou art Thy crosse took up in one, By way of imprest, all my future mone. 34. MATTENS. I cannot ope mine eyes, But thou art ready there to catch Then we must needs for that day make a match. My God, what is a heart? Silver, or gold, or precious stone, Of all these things, or all of them in one? My God, what is a heart, That thou shouldst it so eye, and wooe, As if that thou hadst nothing els to do? Indeed man's whole estate Amounts (and richly) to serve thee: He did not heav'n and earth create, Yet studies them, not him by whom they be. Teach me thy love to know; That this new light, which now I see, May both the work and workman show: Then by a sunne-beam I will climbe to thee. 35. SINNE. O THAT I Could a sinne once see! Hath some good in him, all agree. Sinne is flat opposite to th' Almighty, seeing It wants the good of vertue, and of being. But God more care of us hath had, By sight of sinne we should grow mad. So devils are our sinnes in perspective. 36. EVEN-SONG. BLEST be the God of love, Who gave me eyes, and light, and power this day, Both to be busie, and to play. But much more blest be God above, Who gave me sight alone, Which to himself he did denie: For when he sees my waies, I dy: What have I brought thee home For this thy love? have I discharg'd the debt I ranne; but all I brought, was fome. Thy diet, care, and cost Do end in bubbles, balls of winde; Yet still thou goest on, And now with darknesse closest wearie eyes, Thus in thy ebony box Thou dost inclose us, till the day Put our amendment in our way, And give new wheels to our disorder'd clocks. |